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Andouille and Beef Burgers with Spicy Mayo and Caramelized Onions

Image may contain Burger Food and Pork
Andouille and Beef Burgers with Spicy Mayo and Caramelized Onions Brian Leatart

Prolific cookbook author James McNair has been chief judge of Sutter Home Winery's burger cook-off since it began in Napa in 1990. One of his books,Build a Better Burger, includes every winning recipe. Some past winners — and McNair's Louisiana roots — inspired the burger here.

Ingredients

Makes 6

Spicy mayonnaise

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Burgers

1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into scant 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck or ground beef (20 percent fat)

Caramelized onions

1 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing grill rack
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
6 large hamburger buns, split
8 ounces crumbled blue cheese
12 pickled okra pods, halved lengthwise*
3 cups watercress tops
  1. For mayonnaise:

    Step 1

    Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill.

    Step 2

    Do ahead:Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

  2. For burgers:

    Step 3

    Toss first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add beef; blend gently. Shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties. Transfer patties to small baking sheet.

    Step 4

    Do ahead:Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

  3. For onions:

    Step 5

    Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Toss onions and next 3 ingredients in large skillet. Place skillet on grill; cook until onions are golden, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Remove from grill; season with salt and pepper.

    Step 6

    Brush grill rack with olive oil. Grill buns, cut side down, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer buns to work surface. Grill burgers until brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn over; sprinkle with cheese. Grill until burgers are cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium. Place some onions, then burger, on each bun bottom. Top each with okra and watercress. Spread mayonnaise on cut side of bun tops; place on burgers. Serve with remaining mayonnaise.

  4. Step 7

    *Shopping tip: Look for pickled okra where the pickles and relishes are displayed.

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Reviews (102)

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  • I actually enjoyed this and would probably make it again. Though, I would not rush to do it. The quality of the andouille really matters here and well the beef is always important--it is a burger after all....It was definitely fatty and juicy...the onions were excellent. I felt that the flavors were balanced and I didn't bore with them as I progressed through the dinner. That means something. Having said that...I love burgers, I love andouille....and I will put this into the rotation...but probably one time every 18 months. I just feel there are other great things to try.

    • Anonymous

    • Ogunquit, Maine

    • 1/21/2017

  • Have made this several times exactly as written to rave reviews.....a little putsie to assemble but well worth it!

    • kampa68

    • 8/1/2016

  • i really like just how this recipe looks i eaten it before with my loved ones all of us enjoyed this we can have a family group gathering again and cook this recipe again soon this really is one tasty recipe you should test it i guarantee you all you could should this its very tasty

  • 我没有了任何的食谱从强到目前为止manbetx苹果下载g this website for 8 years, but this recipe was so fantastic that I felt inspired to post my review. I did make a few tweaks to the recipe -- no watercress or okra and I cooked the burger on my stovetop in a large frying pan rather than grilling since it was raining outside. This burger was AMAZING and decadent, and I would recommend cooking stovetop in a large frying pan rather than on the grill. It was juicy and a bit different from the everyday. We did use top notch ingredients, and bought everything from the butcher counter at Whole Foods, and we made the spicy mayo a bit spicier with some Siracha. I can't recommend it enough! A good quality bleu cheese crumbled with a fork is essential, and a large juicy heirloom tomato added great flavor.

    • NYtoNC

    • Chapel Hill, NC

    • 1/11/2014

  • It was a winner for us. My only regret was that I didn't do as many onions as they said, because those were fantastic. That and I didn't put on any bleu cheese, which I think would've really added to it. What I made was good, but honestly it could have used a bit more flavor so that's why I recommend the onions and bleu cheese.

    • dckesler

    • Provo, UT

    • 12/14/2013

  • jk it was fire

    • freshiemane

    • 11/11/2013

  • Great recipe! I wanted something different and this is it. The sweet onions, zingy mayo and slightly salty sausage work great together, and the nuts add a really interesting texture. This will become a go-to recipe for us.

    • Anonymous

    • Laramie, WY

    • 5/30/2013

  • What a fantastic burger! This recipe really elevates the traditional grilled cheeseburger. The only thing that I can see wrong with it is that we didn't have anyone over to share it with us! We can't wait to have a summer BBQ to make these for our friends and family! We used goat cheese instead of blue cheese and it was fantastic.

    • ajablon22

    • Ventura, CA

    • 3/9/2013

  • I love Hamburgers! I used Chorizo since I could not find Andouille. I loved the little spiced up burger meat. I was not sure about putting pecans in my burgers and I will do it again. My fiance said this is what made the burger for him. For me it was the spicy mayo. Simply amazing! I added extra heat and lemon juice to taste and I hate to say that I was dipping my cucumbers into it. Not healthy but YUM! I didn't do the caramelized onions and I don't know if I will. On burgers, they just are not my thing. Instead I used, lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheddar cheese. Wow! I want to make these burgers again today.

    • Anonymous

    • Durham, NC

    • 2/1/2013

  • All the family love this just as is. One daughter thought grilled pineapple would be a good addition, I'd agree if you like that kind of thing.

    • Anonymous

    • Denver

    • 12/19/2012

  • Heavy, dry and not very intereting. I added extra hot sauce to the mayo and that was good, as were the onions. The burger, I will not make again.

    • fiveoclocksomewhere

    • Seattle

    • 11/19/2012

  • Made these for a poolside BBQ the other day. Everyone really liked them and one person posted a facebook post that she had the best burger she'd ever had that day! Tasty and easy. Love that you can do them ahead then just grill them up when you're ready.

    • Anonymous

    • Farmington, MI

    • 6/27/2012

  • Fantastic

    • Anonymous

    • UK

    • 5/22/2012

  • So I have been making turkey burgers for a while now, and they get slightly boring. So tonight I used ground turkey and raw CHICKEN andouille suasage to make something like this burgers and they are so good! Saved me from turkey burger boredom. Used walnuts instead of pecans because those were the one kind of nut I didn't have. Still amazing.

    • KDilke

    • Toronto, ON

    • 4/14/2012

  • 太棒了。不太辣,我甚至翻了一倍the spices/hot sauce in the mayo. No time to do the carm. onions but still awesome! Ground Moose works excellent with the Andouille sausage too...for all those northern folks who have access to good moose meat. Also, never have enjoyed blue cheese so left it out here and just used regular marble with all regular toppings...tomato, pickles, onions, lettuce. Husband loved it!

    • blonke

    • Calgary, AB

    • 2/3/2012

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